The Innovative Medicines Initiative Consortium RESOLUTE has started to develop tools and produce data sets to de-orphanize transporters in the solute carrier protein (SLC) superfamily, thereby... Show moreThe Innovative Medicines Initiative Consortium RESOLUTE has started to develop tools and produce data sets to de-orphanize transporters in the solute carrier protein (SLC) superfamily, thereby lowering the barrier for the scientific community to explore SLCs as an attractive drug target class Show less
The relationship between risk-taking and creativity is critical to understanding social harmony and innovation. Although some studies have assessed the link between risk-taking and divergent... Show moreThe relationship between risk-taking and creativity is critical to understanding social harmony and innovation. Although some studies have assessed the link between risk-taking and divergent thinking, the association between risk-taking and convergent thinking remains unclear. Two studies were conducted to systemically investigate whether risk-taking is linked to convergent thinking. In Study 1, a sample of 127 healthy participants performed a Chinese remote associate test (RAT) and completed a risk-taking questionnaire. As predicted, risk-taking was negatively correlated with RAT performance, implying that risk-taking has a negative association with convergent thinking. Study 2 was an online survey study that replicated Study 1 and extended the measures to include self-rated risk and a measure of divergent thinking (the alternate uses task). The findings were fully replicated, showing that low risk-taking goes with better convergent thinking and risk-taking was not significantly correlated with divergent thinking. Furthermore, the risk-taking/convergent-thinking relationship was best described by a linear regression model in both studies. Taken together, these results suggest that appropriate reductions in risk-taking can boost convergent thinking. Show less
The Chinese medicine Qiliqiangxin (QL) has been shown to have a protective role in heart failure. Here, we explore the underlying working mechanism of the key therapeutic component in QL using a... Show moreThe Chinese medicine Qiliqiangxin (QL) has been shown to have a protective role in heart failure. Here, we explore the underlying working mechanism of the key therapeutic component in QL using a rat model of heart failure. Heart failure after myocardial infarction was induced surgically and confirmed using echocardiography; a separate group of rats underwent sham surgery. The rats with heart failure were randomly assigned to receive QL, the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor benazepril, or placebo groups. Blood samples were collected from the rats at four time points for up to 8 weeks and used for biochemical analysis and mass spectrometry‒based metabolomics profiling. In total, we measured nine well-known biochemical parameters of heart failure and 147 metabolites. In the rats with heart failure, QL significantly improved these biochemical parameters and metabolomics profiles, significantly increasing the cardioprotective parameter angiopoietin-like 4 and significantly lowering inflammation-related oxylipins and lysophosphatidic acids compared to benazepril. Mechanistically, QL may improve outcome in heart failure by controlling inflammatory process and cardiac hypertrophy. Clinical studies should be designed in order to investigate these putative mechanisms in patients. Show less
